The Medical Academy Charter School (MACS) appeared before the Catasauqua Area School Board May 7 to present an overview of the school's progress to date.

Chairman of the MACS board Dr. Craig Haytmanek, M.D., told board members the charter school has recently met with several health care facilities regarding agreements between the school and the individual medical facility.

"I will tell you, Good Shepherd is really on board ... Sacred Heart is really on board," said Haytmanek, who also noted Lehigh Valley Hospital has been receptive to working with the charter school in setting up an agreement.

"We're trying our best.," he said.

MACS Principal Joanna Hughes said the charter school will offer open enrollment sessions May 16 and 30. She added the school has received a number of commitments from students who indicated they will return along with 60 new students who have expressed an interest in attending the charter school next school year.

Hughes also said 10th-grade students will undergo CPR training this month and the school has hired a registered nurse.

"It's a very different school than what it was in September," Hughes told board members.

Haytmanek also invited school board members to Friday afternoon sessions he holds with students in which they engage in hands-on lab experiments and practicums. The students, Haytmanek said, have dissected animal brains, lungs and hearts.

The charter school next year will accept 9th-, 10th- and 11th-grade students and has plans to make improvements this summer to its current facilities, located on 330 Howertown Road in the Lincoln School building, which it shares with Lehigh Valley Christian High School.

Also during the meeting, board members discussed the current board meeting schedule that has the school board members meeting twice a month for public meetings. In the past, board members had also attended committee meetings in which issues where discussed at length.

"I personally feel like I don't have a handle on things," commented board President Penny Hahn.

Vice Presidents of the board Carol Cunningham agreed with Hahn.

"I think we've gone from open dialogue to none," she said.

CASD Superintendent Robert Spengler directed board members to reflect on keeping the current two-meetings-a-month schedule or returning to the format in the past which had the board meeting in committees as well.

"We got elected to be on this position so we have to be diligent to be sure we understand everything," Hahn said.